Synthesis and Enzymatic Degradation of Soft Aliphatic Polyesters

Novel aliphatic enzymatically degradable polyesters with short alkyl side chains for tuning crystallinity are presented in this work. The intrinsic problem of aliphatic polyesters is their brittleness and tendency to crystallize. This was modulated by the synthesis of random copolyesters based on aliphatic linear monomers, adipic acid, 1,5-pentanediol and monomers with aliphatic branches, such as 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol by polycondensation. The resulting copolyesters were crystalline, wax-like or had liquid texture with varied mechanical properties and enzymatic degradability depending upon the copolymer composition. Such polyesters are of significant interest for a wide range of possible applications such as controlled drug delivery, agricultural applications and as packing materials.